Accra, April 13, GNA - About 6,300 people on Monday began training in the oil and gas industry to equip them with the necessary skills for the job market. Out of the number, 4,000 are beneficiaries of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) while the rest are sponsored by Parliamentarians and the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

The six-month training is being undertaken at the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI) of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare. It is to facilitate employment into the Oil and Gas Industry, private enterprise development , labour outsourcing and consultancy services for Ghanaians.

A joint team of world leading competency-based training and service provider firms in the industry including Petroskills, Schlumberger, Africa Gulf Petroleum Services, and locally sourced and developed experts of MDPI are undertaking the training. Mr Musah Mohammed, an MDPI Consultant, told the GNA in Accra on Wednesday, that more than 8,000 applications were received but only a little over 6,000 registered for the training while some were disqualified because they could not speak the English Language. He said the Institute with funding and technical support of collaborating agencies was set to provide short-term practical training on competency for Ghanaians to work at various levels of their career.

Mr Mohammed explained that the training was geared towards building the capacities of un-skilled, semi-skilled and skilled Ghanaians to proceed with their careers in Accounting, Administration, Engineering, Finance, Human Resource and Commerce. Other areas include Environment and Sanitation, Security and Protection, Health and Safety, Media and Communication and Drilling and Exploration.

Mr Philip Assibit Akpeena, Managing Consultant of MDPI, said training centres had been established in Kumasi, Tamale and Sekondi, Takoradi to decentralize the programme. He appealed to all applicants, who had not yet registered, to register to be included in the next batch of trainees, and advised them to visit the Institute's website at www.mygoodwillgroup.com for details or contact the communications unit of the MDPI.